BOP Writers
If you identify as disabled and are interested in developing your skills as a playwright, then BOP Writers could be exactly what you’re looking for.
BOP Writers is a set of collective spaces where playwrights of any level of experience can come together to share their work with a supportive group of like-minded individuals. The sessions are facillitated by autistic playwright Nelly Kelly.
This group is a friendly place where writers can try out different writing tasks to develop their skills. Participants will receive feedback, thoughts and supportive criticism on what they’ve written and offer the same to others.
This is a group where it’s safe to try new things with writing and to chat with other disabled writers about what works for them and what they’ve learned.
BOP Writers 2023 has now ended. Check back later or follow us on social media to be informed when applications reopen.
Nelly Kelly
BOP Writers Workshop Leader
Nelly Kelly (they/them) is a trans, autistic, non-binary theatre maker. They work mostly as a playwright, dramaturg and drag performer. Nelly was a 2019/2020 recipient of the New Playwrights Award with Playwrights Studio Scotland. Nelly works regularly with Queen Jesus Productions and an ensemble of eight trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming performers.
They have written digital theatre for the BBC and National Theatre of Scotland and had work performed at the Traverse Theatre, Tron Theatre, in universities/colleges and off-West End theatre venues in London. They also work part-time as the Artist Development Co-ordinator at the National Theatre of Scotland, and find huge joy in supporting other artists at all stages of their careers
How is BOP Writers structured?
BOP Writers began in 2022 as a single group of writers who met once a fortnight over a period of eight weeks, with sessions taking place online via video conference.
For the second year of BOP Writers, we changed the structure to include the following three groups:
Group 1
This group focuses on earlier stage writing and the development of craft, with different tasks to help develop ideas, characters, structure and story. This group is ideal if you feel like you want to dig a bit deeper into the craft of writing, feel like you’re not sure where to start, feel a bit nervous to share your writing with others or generally just feel like you are at an earlier stage of your writing journey and want more hands-on support to develop your work.
ONLINE : 1 HOUR
Group 2
This group is much more led by the group participants, and is better suited to people who have written for the stage before and/or have studied the craft of playwriting/creative writing already and want to focus on developing their play ideas and/or existing drafts of work. This group is much more focused on mutual sharing and responding to the writing work in development within the group.
ONLINE : 1 HOUR
Group 3
This group is for folks at any stage of development and is suited to people who would prefer to be at an in-person session, as opposed to online.
IN-PERSON : 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES
When and where is it held?
BOP Writers 2023 began on Monday 13 March and ran until Tuesday 22 August, 2023.
The in-person sessions take place at Impact Arts, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow, G1 1TF
The online sessions take place via video conferencing. A meeting link is shared ahead of time.
Who is eligible to apply?
Playwrights with any level of experience are welcome at BOP Writers. You may have written a number of plays or you may be at the very start of writing your first play — but you must have a keen interest in writing for the stage.
If you are a writer of other artforms (such as literature or poetry), then this writers’ group is not for you.
Other eligibility criteria include:
- You must identify as D/deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent – click here to see how we define disabled
- You must have a home base in Scotland
- You must be aged over 18, by Monday 13th March 2023
- People in full- or part-time education are eligible to apply
You must fit the above eligibility criteria to join the BOP Writers’ Group
What will be expected of me if I attend?
BOP Writers is a collective space where writers may share part-formed ideas or perhaps even personal insights into their own lives. As such, we expect that everybody who joins the group follows a set of principles:
- You do not divulge any material about other people’s work to people outside of the group.
- The writers group will be an encouraging and supportive space. Feedback on others work will be encouraged and should be honest feedback, but should always be kind, respectful and supportive.
- Spaces for this group are limited, so we ask that if you are selected, you try to make it along to all of the sessions. We understand that sometimes things may come up that prevent you from attending a session here or there, and we can absolutely be flexible around this. However, if you are repeatedly missing sessions with no communication as to why this is happening, your place may be given to someone else.
- As part of the group, you will work with the facilitator and other participants to make sure that everyone is given a fair amount of time to discuss their writing.
You will not:
- be expected to finish your play,
- be pressured into sharing any of your writing with the group that you don’t want to share,
- be guaranteed any additional work with BOP once the sessions end.
Will BOP Writers be accessible to me?
We will work to remove barriers that you may experience due to access requirements that you have. We want to ensure that the BOP Writers is a space that is as accessible as possible to disabled people.
When you have been selected you will be asked to complete an Access Requirements form. This will allow us to better understand what your access requirements are and what measures we will need to take to facilitate your involvement.
We also understand that finances can be a barrier for some people which is why BOP Writers will cost nothing for you to attend.
If your participation requires the removal of an access barrier that incurs a cost (such as needing a BSL interpreter), this is a cost that we are happy to cover for you.
How can I apply?
Applications for BOP Writers are currently closed.
APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED
